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Welcome to "Adventures in Lead", a blog dedicated to the hobby of miniature wargaming. The figures and terrain on this site are mainly for a campaign set in exotic "Indostan", a distant land bearing remarkable similarities to 18th century India during the Seven Years War. Bits and pieces from other projects may pop up here as well from time to time, including colonials, gladiators, pirates, dinosaur-hunting and even some RPG'ing.

The actual campaign journal and after action reports for the Indostan campaign can be found on their own blog - "Indostan: The Jewel in the Crown", the link to which is found by clicking the small image below-left.If you do find anything remotely interesting on this blog please leave a comment, it's what keeps these sites going and their authors motivated - Thanks for looking.

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Friday, June 27, 2014

As the prospect of Blood on the Sands actually becoming a reality draws nearer, my thoughts have turned to more enjoyable aspects of writing a set of rules, well for me anyway; the book cover.

I made these myself quite some time ago and have since had some feedback from playtesters.

The first two covers include images from the extremely talented, Sire Godefroy, of At the Mountains of Lead blog. They have been used with his permission. The majority of comments, including those from Sire Godefroy himself, were against using images of actual miniatures on the cover, even miniatures painted to such a high standard. Most believed that this style of cover did not come across as professional looking. This reflects in no way on Sire Godefroy's painting skill - I would give my left arm to have half his talent. The exact post with these images is here.

The last cover uses an image I have used before on my playtest sheets by Neil Blade, an artist on the deviantART site. I have used this image without permission, because I have tried numerous times to contact the artist to no avail. So unfortunately although I like the piece it is unlikely I could use it anyway. Comments were a little more favorable towards this style of cover. It was also mentioned that the pattern at top and bottom served no real purpose and was distracting.

Regardless it is not known exactly what form the cover of Blood on the Sands might take. Any suggestions?

I like edging around the cover Personally I prefer the painted image, nothing against the miniatures because they are wonderful. But out of those two, I prefer the slightly more muted photo of the figures.

Oddly enough, I've found rulesets with miniatures on the cover look less professional somehow. An exception might be models painted to very high standards – which my stuff is not, and so I told Furt again and again. He just won't listen!Then again I was so terribly sorry to be of no use at playtesting (mainly due to a lack of sparring partners) that I offered to help with photos instead. No intend, though, to find them used on the cover!I'd love proper artwork instead, even if I do understand the difficulties of finding (and paying) a professional artist. Still, someone like Jon Hodgson (also on Deviantart) would be great – maybe ask around a bit?

Thanks gents for your thoughts. It really appears that most folk are really torn between what types of covers they like. Before I thought so hard about this, I actually believed it was obvious to put an image using miniatures on a book about miniatures, but now I have second thoughts.

@Rab - you were actually one of the first to play the game outside my group and I thank you for that.

@Sire Godefroy - you are TOO modest mate, your painting is brilliant. I have looked through Jon Hodgson's stuff - very nice. I bet he charges a pretty $.

Furt, I'm really looking forward to "Blood on the Sands". I shall certainly be looking to get a copy, together with Jugula. I think that Gladiators is a really perfect little side project for later this year.

As for the covers, I think either 2 or 3 would be perfect. I don't think of miniatures on the cover as being less professional. I'm more than happy to buy a set of rules with a miniature-based cover. For me, it's very much the material inside which counts. It helps, of course, when the miniatures are as finely painted as Sire Godefroy's!

That being said, I would happily pick up Blood on the Sand with cover 3.